Blood Prison Konoha
by Hiyuusha
Summary: In a world of doubt those with the ability to use Chakra are hunted. When captured they are thrown into one of five prisons. Suna, Iwa, Kumo, Kiri, or Konoha. How will Clone Creator Naruto Uzumaki react when he is tossed into the prison of the leaves? AU
1. Pilot

**AU Fic. In a fearful world filled with doubt, those with the ability to use a special ability known as Chakra are hunted. Those who escape live fearfully in the shadows, hiding their abilities from all. However… those who are captured are sent to one of five prisons. Sunagakure, the Prison of Wind. Iwagakure, the Prison of Stone. Kumogakure, the Prison of Clouds. Kirigakure, the Prison of Mist. And finally, Konohagakure, the Prison of Leaves. Forced into a life of pain and servitude, how will Clone creator Naruto fare when he is thrown into Konoha?**

**Disclaimer: Naruto is not owned by me, and I doubt it ever will. If it did, I'd be rich.**

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><p><strong>Blood Prison Konoha<strong>

"Naruto Uzumaki." The voice spoke his name in a dark, foreboding tone. A lone gray eye looked up from the papers clutched tightly between two old hands. "You have been charged with several accounts of heresy, the murder of Lieutenant Torano Mizuki, and the use of illegal," the man's eye narrowed, glaring at the blonde seated defiantly before him, "_modifications._ How do you plead?"

Cerulean eyes glared up at the heavily bandaged man, and the teen smirked. He knew he was done for either way. After all… it was his fault the man was as wounded as he was. _'Che… sucks. Ten years of running… wasted in an instant.'_ "Hey Geezer," the teen grinned, "Let me out of these binds and I can fix that other eye for ya. Then you'll have a matching pair!"

The man's name was Danzo Shimura, judge, jury, and executioner for all Chakra-related events. Several days ago he had captured the fleeing Naruto Uzumaki from the scene of a failed burglary. If there was anything anyone knew about Danzo, it was that he hated Chakra-users with a burning passion.

"Keep talking." He murmured from behind a seemingly calm gaze, "You're only digging yourself a deeper grave."

"Heh… it's not like it matters anyway." Naruto said with a soft smile, "We both know what's going to happen the second this sham of a case is over. I'll be tossed into the shadows like an animal… locked in one of those hellholes you people dare to call prisons."

Danzo smirked, "They are for the people's protection. It would do to remember your place criminal. No matter how this case ends, you will be seen as a fugitive. No matter how this case ends, you will still be doomed to repeat."

Naruto smirked quietly, chuckling to himself softly as he thought over everything one last time. _'With these damn binds I can't even create a single clone… damn it… these things really are a piece of work.'_ He grinned at Danzo once more, silently straining against the binds.

"It's no use. The binds we use are specifically created to stop _your_ kind." Danzo spoke slowly. "A fact you should be well aware of, Uzumaki."

Naruto sighed, "Yeah… you've captured and killed tons of my friends because of these you old bastard… but…" he glared with determination, "No matter how dark things look… I was taught to always see the light at the end of the tunnel…. So go ahead!" he shouted suddenly, rising from his chair ever so slightly, "You can beat us down all you want, torture us, maim us if you want, but no matter how difficult things get… we Chakra-users… we won't give up!" he turned towards the reporters, shouting at them sadistically as he leapt from his stool, landing centimeters from them and grinning into the television screens of millions. "Listen up! This is a message to all the Chakra-users out there! My name is Naruto Uzumaki," his blue eyes gleamed in the light, and he finished his thought, "and no matter how difficult things get, I'll always endure because… I will be the one to change the world!"

Danzo slammed his hand on his desk, "ENOUGH! Get this fool out of my sight! Immediately! I will not have him make a mockery of this case!"

Naruto let out a cry as his binds suddenly convulsed, sending several large watts of electricity to surge through his body. Falling to his knees as smoke rose from his clothing, Naruto let out a pained breath.

"No matter what…" he said to the cameras, "Don't give up… no matter what… keep fighting!"

-HY-

That had been one week ago. The blonde closed his eyes in thought, the same orange and black uniform clad amongst his body, proof of what pains he had to take to stay free for so long. The sound of the bus's tires grinding against the rocky road was enough to make his ears burn, and it didn't help that most of his fellow "convicts" didn't care much for him at the moment. It wasn't as if he knew that all the Courthouse binds were connected. If he had, he wouldn't have taken his little "Going-away speech" so far.

He sighed; there was nothing to do about it now. He was a prisoner, just like all the rest of them.

"We've arrived." The driver announced, rising from his seat slowly and leading the convicts off the bus.

As Naruto took his first step into the daylight, his eyes immediately widened by what he saw. A village, surrounded by the densest forest he had ever imagined, stood mere meters from him, the Prison of Konoha. The blonde swallowed in anticipation. He had heard rumors of how dangerous the prison was from other Chakra-Users, not that they had ever seen the place for themselves. In any case… it was much larger than he expected.

As the group lined up in a straight line under the driver's orders, Naruto spared a glance at his fellow convicts. Not one of them did he recognize. He frowned slightly, wondering just what sort of untold horrors awaited them inside the facility.

"You have been found guilty of using the illegal source of energy known as Chakra." One of the guards informed them at the front gate, "As such, humanity has seen fit to separate you from your betters."

"Tch, don't look down on us!" A wild-haired teen growled angrily, releasing a wisp of chakra that sent a shock through his body.

The guard smirked, walking over to the teen's fallen form, "Kiba Inuzuka," he acknowledged as he looked down at the arrival list. He kicked the boy in the ribs once, "Speak up like that again and you'll see just how dangerous we can be."

"Tch…! Teme…!" Kiba growled, taking slow pained breaths as he rose back to his feet.

"When I call your name, step forward." The guard told them all, "You will be given a residence and a district. But be warned," the guard grinned, "Once you pass through the gates, you're on your own."

He looked down at his list, "Aburame, Shino."

A silent figure stepped forward, his face hidden behind a dark hood and a pair of small shades. He was handed a small sack of items, and from where Naruto stood, he could see the small markings of District 1B written on the side of the bag. The Aburame silently passed through the gates, before disappearing behind the prison's closed form.

"Akimichi, Choji."

A larger man grumbled about not having enough food as he stepped forward, only to be shocked lightly for the words.

"You'll have food enough… fatty." The guard grinned, tossing the man a bag.

It seemed as though Choji was about to pummel the man, but a careful glance at his pineapple-haired partner stopped his assault. With a calming sigh, he too disappeared behind the gates, but not before glaring at the man one last time.

"Haruno, Sakura." The guard spoke, passing a bag to a pink-haired woman that glared ferociously.

Naruto began tapping his feet as he waited for his name to be called. The process was taking far too long for his tastes. Why couldn't they have just done it all at once…? Surely they had enough guards to spare. He sighed as he heard the guard call the next name; they were still a ways off from the U's.

"Hyuga, Hinata."

A pale-eyed beauty stepped forward, her face calm and impassive, though if one looked closely, they'd see the slightest frown slip onto her figure, though it was gone after a second's notice.

"Inuzuka," the guard smirked, "Kiba."

The feral teen growled as he squabbled forward, meeting the guard with a fierce glare.

"Take it or leave it, maybe if you're lucky you'll die the first day." The guard grinned.

"Hmph," Kiba snatched the bag and sniffed it, "You'll regret looking down on me." He disappeared behind the gates.

"…Nara, Shikamaru." The guard called, looking towards the pineapple-haired teen that had calmed the large boy earlier.

"Man…so troublesome." Shikamaru sighed, walking obediently through the gates after being handed a bag with the label 2C.

"Uchiha," the guard paused. It was rare for an Uchiha to be sent so violently into a Chakra Prison, "Sasuke."

A dark-haired teen stalked forward, emotionlessly looking down at the guard as he waited for his bag.

"Try not to cause too many problems… eh?" the guard asked cautiously.

Naruto blinked. What was so special about the Uchiha? Sure, they may have a relatively strong hold on the majority of the world's economy, but a criminal was a criminal, no matter how rich they were. He clenched his hand slightly. Of course the rich would be shown pity!

Sasuke narrowed his eyes slightly, "I'll only do what I have to." He said distantly, "Now stop wasting my time."

"O-Of course Uchiha-san!" the guard swallowed, "You're in District 1A!"

"Of course I am." Sasuke murmured, grabbing his bag and walking into the prison.

'_Only two of us left…'_ Naruto thought, _'It's about time!'_

"Uzumaki Naruto." The guard called, and the blonde walked forward.

"Hmph, Danzo-sama told us to be extra rough with you. Seems you have a mean streak we'll have to deal with."

Naruto narrowed his eyes slightly, _'That old geezer…!'_

"You'll be staying… in 9D." the guard smirked, "Maybe you're time there will teach you to respect your betters."

Naruto frowned, "Why so low…?"

"Commander's orders," the guard explained, "Maybe next time you'll think twice about killing a Lieutenant."

Shoving the blonde forward through the gates, the guard turned to the last prisoner, a blonde teen. If Naruto hadn't already been through the closing gates, he would've heard the name Yamanaka Ino being called.

He swallowed, looking down into the bag as he walked silently towards District 9. "Let's see… water, rations… instant ramen?" he asked himself, pulling out a small bowl-shaped item, "I wonder what it tastes like…"

As he wondered about the taste of the small supply of food he'd been given, the blonde barely noticed the fact he'd entered his District, and by the time he realized where he was, he was already outside his assigned room.

'_I wonder if I'm by myself… or if I'm going to be stuck with some teme…'_ Naruto sighed, pulling out the small key that had been present inside the bag, "Well, guess there's no way to find out but to go in!" he grinned optimistically, opening the door to a relatively worn home.

He blanched. He certainly hadn't expected the apartments to look like a hotel or anything, but he didn't expect it to be so bland either. The apartment was made up of three rooms. From what Naruto could tell as he closed and locked the door behind him, there was a living room, a bedroom, and a bathroom. The living room had absolutely nothing inside it, save for a single table and a small microwave leaning against a corner.

The blonde wandered through the apartment, entering the bedroom and setting his bag down on what he assumed to be his bed. Dumping the supplies out onto the bed, he began sorting through the little the guard had given him.

"Stupid teme…" Naruto growled, holding up a torn and broken sandwich. "I bet they gave that Uchiha jerk fresh food."

He sighed, tossing the rock-hard sandwich behind him and digging through the rest of his items. Before long, he came across a small spherical item, looking at its perfectly round shape as it repeatedly emitted a pale green light.

He didn't know how or why, but moments after tinkering with the item, it suddenly jolted, emitting a sharp pulse that ran across the blonde's body, removing the Chakra Binds that had once held him.

"W-What…?"

"Name: Naruto Uzumaki." The sphere spoke, "Sealing Designation: Level 9. Authorized Chakra Level: 50%."

"H-Hey!" Naruto shouted at the item, "What are you-?" his words were cut off as he felt something tear through his chakra system, and he let loose a blood curdling scream. Outside, numerous prisoners grinned at his apartment from their own, knowing full well what he was going through.

After what seemed like an eternity, Naruto fell to his knees in a huff, gripping his chest in pain as he glared at the item. "What did you… what was that?"

"Sealing Designation Complete. Returning to base." The sphere suddenly warped out of existence, leaving Naruto alone to think on what had just happened.

"T-The hell was that…?" Naruto huffed, slowly reaching to the wall for support as he staggered back to his feet, "It felt like it was tearing all my chakra out of me…"

"That's because it was." A tired voice replied from behind him.

Naruto swiveled around immediately, coming face to face with a black haired woman around his age. "W-What the-? Who are you-? Why are you in my apartment?"

The girl yawned, blinking at Naruto in confusion as she became aware of her surroundings, "Hey wait a second… _your_ apartment? This is _my_ apartment you jerk! I'd still be sleeping if someone hadn't screamed like a child!"

"Why you-!" Naruto took a step forward, before his eyes widened slightly, "H-Hey… hold on a second, you're a girl."

The girl scowled, "You have a problem with that?"

"N-NO!" Naruto shouted, "It's just… I didn't expect to see a girl in my apartment."

"Like I said, it's my apartment." The girl hissed softly, "So why don't you get out before I castrate you and feed you to the dogs?"

"No way!" Naruto shot back, "This is my apartment! 9D! I even have the bag to prove it!" he showed her.

"Tch… they're dumping me with a punk like you…?" the girl narrowed her eyes, "Stupid Kotetsu, Izumo… I'll get them for this."

"Uh… who?" Naruto asked in confusion.

"Those guards," the girl waved him off, "everyone hates them." She smirked at him, "So… it seems you really are going to be living here…"

Naruto folded his hands and huffed, "Yeah, like I said, so get out my apartment!"

"Heh, I don't think you understand…" the girl pulled a shank, sharpened to look like a kunai, "I've been living here for a while, and I don't quite feel like leaving. So I guess that makes us roommates."

Naruto sweatdropped, "O-Oi… where'd you get that…?"

The girl twirled the weapon around her fingers gently; "Oh wouldn't you like to know…?" she smiled knowingly, and slipped it back into her pocket, "The name's Tenten Niju… but you can call me Tenten. You are…?"

The blonde deadpanned, _'This girl's crazy…'_ "Naruto… Uzumaki."

"Uzumaki you say…? Where have I heard that…?" the girl, Tenten, asked herself. She tapped her chin in thought for a few moments, during which Naruto just stared at her blankly.

Suddenly, the girl started laughing. "I-I remember you now! You're that kid on the TV!"

"Eh?" Naruto asked, before remembering his little stunt during his court case.

"You're that kid who was going on about not giving up and changing the world!" Tenten laughed, wiping a tear from her eyes, "H-How's that been working out for ya?" she laughed.

Naruto scowled, "I was serious!" he shouted, "Stop laughing!"

"I-I'm sorry, sorry…" Tenten breathed, catching her breath, "It's just I haven't had a laugh like that for ages."

Naruto huffed.

"Still…" Tenten looked at him, "For someone's who's going to "change the world" you aren't in a really good position, especially if you've been sent here."

"Huh?" Naruto asked in confusion, "What're you talking about? I don't have those binds on! I can break outta here anytime I want!"

"Oh yeah?" Tenten asked distantly, "Then let's see it. Break out right now hotshot."

"Fine! I will!" Naruto shouted, "And I'm not taking you with me!" he ran out the apartment as Tenten smirked at him from behind.

"Idiot."

-HY-

Naruto ran through the crowded streets, swerving between the walking prisoners and ignoring the guards that were heavily equipped to deal with any situation.

'_Heh,'_ he grinned, _'this is gonna be too easy! They didn't call me the number one prankster in school for nothing!'_ He flipped onto an apartment roof, looking cautiously for any guards before continuing towards the gate. _'I'll show you! I'll be outta here in no time!'_

As he grew closer to the gate, several searchlights came into view, and Naruto scowled. _'This'll be a bit difficult… but with my chakra there's no way they can catch me!'_

Unbeknownst to him, Tenten was trailing him quietly with a small smile. After all, she wanted to be there when the teen got beaten down, and if on some off chance he did manage to escape, (not that she thought he would), she definitely wanted to be there.

And she wasn't the only one trailing him. In Konoha, many had tried to escape. It had become a sort of ritual of sorts, and a way to discern the pecking order of the newcomers. Sometimes they'd get a bit cocky, and the senior prisoners needed to put them in their place.

But it seemed like Naruto wasn't the only one trying to escape that night. The feral boy Kiba seemed to be fed up with his living standards as well, and was running down the rooftop across from where Naruto was.

'_Two escapees huh?'_ Tenten thought with a smirk. A prisoner behind her who had come to watch smirked, "Looks like the fun's just getting started."

Tenten could do nothing but nod in agreement, any second now… _they_ would arrive, Konoha's elite squad of guards, the ANBU. Each member of the highly trained team was equipped to make hunting Chakra-users as easy as possible. Their blades they carried were outfitted with numerous electrical cells, allowing them to easily shock any prisoner who dared believe they had a chance to escape. Furthermore, some of the higher-ups in the organization had access to even stronger weapons….

With a sigh, Tenten kept her eyes on Naruto, watching as the blonde grew closer and closer to the gate. _'Any second now… five, four, three, two, one…'_

Naruto grinned as he leapt towards the gate, just a few more meters and he'd be free. He extended his hand out towards the silver handle that would lead to his freedom, and tightened his grip around its whole with a grin.

"I'm-!" Naruto's exclamation was halted as the door suddenly shot open, knocking the blonde away from it as a great fire spewed out into the prison. "W-What?" he asked, leaping back a several shadowy figures came into view, surrounding both he and Kiba from where they stood.

"Tch… stupid blonde, you told them we're here!" the Inuzuka growled, getting ready for a fight.

Tenten smiled from her hiding spot, _'No… they already knew you were coming. They always know.'_

"Prisoner 9D-2," one of the figures spoke blankly towards the two of them, "Prisoner 2B-1… return to your assigned districts at once. This is your final warning."

As if in sync, the two both took a step forward, brandishing their fists, "No way!" they both shouted at once, "I'm definitely getting outta here" "Dattebayo!" Naruto added to his own words, glaring at the figures around him.

"…. You have refused to see reason." The ANBU spoke calmly, "Authorization to engage has been granted."

The ANBU surrounding them all drew their weapons at this, and Naruto growled, noting the small sparks each blade emitted at the tip. _'Those things… better not let them touch me…'_ he smirked ever so slightly.

"So it's a fight you want? Bring it on, there's no way you can defeat all of me!" he shouted, bringing his hands together so it appeared they were making a cross. "I'll show you my chakra technique… the Kage Bunshin!" As he spoke, wisps of blue chakra erupted from his body, and he suddenly _split_, numerous Naruto clones appearing around him, each one facing a different ANBU.

On Kiba's side, he too was activating his chakra-granted ability, his wisps of chakra swirling down beside him forming a fierce growling dog of the energy. "Heh, let's see how you guys stand up to me and Akamaru!" Kiba grinned, crouching down and letting his feral instincts take over, "I'll teach you to not look down on me! Gatsuuga!" he roared, him and the energy dog disappearing into a flying tornado as they swirled down towards one of the ANBU.

"Scatter!" one of the ANBU shouted, and all of them moved at once, leaping away from the two Chakra-users and throwing down small bombs that erupted around them. Naruto growled, using his clones to throw himself into the air as he looked down on everyone from above. "Let's see how well they can fight!" he grinned, creating another clone behind him and throwing himself into one of the ANBU, slamming into their gut with a clenched fist.

The ANBU staggered back in pain, and Naruto grinned, running up to the man with a cocked back fist and plowing it into the mask that they all seemed to wear. Having dealt with one of his attackers, Naruto spun on his heel and leapt, avoiding a sharpened steel rod that carried a similar current to those of the swords.

Flipping back, the blonde landed back to back with Kiba, who had just finished dealing with two of his own ANBU. "Tch," the Inuzuka growled, "These guys don't let up."

"Hehe," Naruto grinned, "But that's what makes this all worthwhile. It wouldn't be fun if there was no challenge to it!" he shouted, leaping back into the fray while creating five more clones.

Ducking beneath one of the ANBU's sword swings, Naruto kicked upwards with three of his clones, lifting the man from the ground. Above them, another Naruto clone had leapt down from a rooftop, his leg raised into the air as he fell towards the flying ANBU.

"Take this! My Uzumaki barrage!" the blonde clone shouted, slamming his leg into the man's face and sending him rocketing down back to Earth. Landing with a thud, the man barely had time to move before yet another clone appeared behind him, holding him from behind as another clone began beating on him profusely.

Elsewhere Kiba was dealing with his own ANBU, but the one he was fighting seemed to perceive all his attacks before he threw them. Scowling as the man leapt away from Akamaru, Kiba tried to close in the gap between them with a Gatsuuga, only for the man to sidestep and swing his blade, tearing through the Inuzuka's back with ease.

Kiba's eyes went wide as he crashed onto the ground, emitting pained groans and shouts as he felt the electrical current surge through his body. "Bastard…!" he glared at the man, slowly rising to his feet as Akamaru lunged at him from behind. The man spun on his heel, his blade cutting Akamaru in half and dissipating the energy used to create the creature.

"T-Tch!" Kiba glared.

"You should have followed the orders the first time." The man murmured, "You would have saved yourself the trouble of an embarrassing defeat." Without another word, the man smashed the hilt of his blade into Kiba's forehead, and the Inuzuka dropped unconscious.

Naruto panted slightly as he finished dealing with the last of his opponents, and turned around just in time to see Kiba fall. _'Dog boy got beaten?'_ he thought, his eyes widening slightly as the man turned to face him.

"Return Prisoner 2B-1 to his apartment. I shall deal with Prisoner 9D." The man spoke to the other ANBU, earning a nod of respect from them. It seemed as though he was either the leader of the group, or at least held the most power out of those present.

"You think you can beat me all by yourself?" Naruto grinned, "Bring it on!"

The man said nothing, merely staring at the blonde blankly.

"T-Tch…" Naruto growled, "Not gonna say anything huh? Fine then! I'll kick your ass and be on my way!" he formed two clones beside him, and the three ran forward towards the man.

Weaving between their punches and kicks with ease, the man slammed a single fist into both of the clones, dispelling them as he took another step forward and drove his knee into Naruto's chin, knocking the boy to the ground. "Give up. You are no match for me in hand to hand combat."

"Why you…!" Naruto growled, "I'm just getting started!" he shouted, rolling away as the man smashed down where he laid seconds earlier. "You won't defeat me so easily!" the blonde growled, running forward once more and kicking out towards the ANBU.

Catching the blonde's ankle, the man lifted him up, slamming him down across from him before pulling him forward and smashing his fist into the teen's face. Naruto went flying from the blow, skidding across Konoha's ground before crashing against the wall of a building.

"D-Damn it…" Naruto coughed weakly, his vision going in and out as the man approached him slowly. "This guy… he's better than I expected." He fell to one knee, blood dripping from his mouth as he tried to stand. "Gotta… get up…" he thought aloud, "Can't lose here…"

"Prisoner 9D-2…" the man spoke calmly, as always, "You shall return to your district."

"No way… I'll definitely… get out of here." Naruto growled weakly; barely able to see the man despite the few feet that separated them.

"Then I shall return you after you have fallen." The man murmured, drawing his blade and swinging it towards Naruto's right shoulder.

Time seemed to slow for the blonde as he watched the blade fall towards him, and he closed his eyes in preparation for a blow he assumed would end his life. Luckily for him, his "better half" wasn't too fond of dying.

The blonde's hand shot out, flying past the falling blade to smash into the ANBU's mask, performing a perfect counter as he steadily felt energy to return to his body. "How annoying… I can barely move this heap of flesh!" the blonde complained.

'_What…?'_ the ANBU thought as he staggered back, readjusting his cracked mask as he gazed at the blonde.

"Well…" the blonde murmured, grinning maniacally as he looked up to gaze at the man with red eyes, "I'll just have to make do won't I?"

Disappearing in a flash, the blonde raced towards the ANBU, delivering a series of heavy blows and kicks that the man could barely keep up with.

'_What is this kid? He's fighting much better than before…'_ he gazed into the teen's crazed red eyes, _'A chakra-induced personality…? I'd heard rumors but… to actually see one.'_

The blonde kicked the man away, laughing as it crouched down and released a roaring red chakra that extended into nine swirling tails. "What's the matter? You were fighting so well a minute ago!" the blonde shouted, "is little Kurama too much for you?" he asked, racing forward as the red chakra edged him on.

'_Kurama…?'_ the man thought, catching himself as he fell and skidding to a halt, _'The prisoner's name was Naruto… so it is a personality disorder?'_

"You don't have time to be fooling around!" Kurama shouted, "You'll have to stay focused when you're fighting me!" he grinned, flipping down towards the ANBU and crashing his left leg on top the man's head.

"Urk!" the ANBU grunted, falling to one knee under the pressure as he tightened the grip on his blade before jabbing it towards the teen.

"I don't think so!" Kurama laughed, skidding to the right and slamming a fist into the ANBU's chest, cracking several ribs. "Let's see how much you can take!" he drove a second fist into the man's stomach, before slamming an uppercut into the man's chin, lifting him from the ground.

'_This guy is-!'_ the ANBU thought, gritting his teeth as he felt his body leave the ground.

Kurama laughed as the man fell with a heap. "That's all? There was nothing special about you!"

He approached the fallen man slowly, taking the blade from the ANBU's hands and examining it closely. "So… this is how you work the current eh?" he mused aloud, grinning as the blade suddenly shook vibrantly. "You were going to cut me with this right? Let's see how you enjoy it!" he raised the blade in preparation for a killing blow. "DIE!"

The blow never landed. The second Kurama had swung the other ANBU had appeared behind him, knocking him unconscious with their own blades.

"Are you alright Captain?" they asked, looking down at the fallen ANBU.

"Yeah…" the man said slowly, rising back to his feet, "This guy… he was something else. Return him to his district… and have the other prisoners return as well… it's not like we don't know they're there."

The ANBU nodded, lifting the unconscious blonde over his shoulders, "Yes sir. Oh, and one more thing sir."

The man looked up, "What is it?"

"You may want to get your face looked at sir, your eye is unusually red."

The ANBU captain nodded, covering his eye with his hand, "Thanks… I'll get it looked at. Now get going."

The ANBU nodded, disappearing in a flash as the other ANBU began scattering the other prisoners. After they left, the captain sighed, looking at his wounded face through his sword. "A bloody eye eh…?" he mused quietly, "If only they knew… right Obito?"

Tenten smiled as she walked back to her district. Sure, the kid may not have escaped, but he did a damn good job of fighting. And with him living in District 9 as well, she was certain that lots of the prisoners would be after his blood.

"Naruto Uzumaki eh…?" she thought aloud, smirking as she entered the room and spotting his unconscious figure on the bed, "Maybe there's something to you after all."

* * *

><p><strong>And there it is! Review and tell me what you think!<strong>


	2. The First Day

**After a brief run-in with the ANBU Captain Kakashi Hatake, Naruto learned a bit of just how hard it would be to escape from Konoha. With his first day in the prison just on the horizon, how will the blonde Clone user fare? With the eccentric Tenten by his side, who knows?**

* * *

><p><strong>The First Day<strong>

It was the next day before Naruto awoke, and the bright lights of the sun shone through the window, giving him an unwanted wakeup call. "Ugh…" the blonde moaned, moving his hand to cover his eyes as he blinked himself awake, "What… happened…?"

Tenten smiled as she looked down at him from her own bed, "You got into a scuffle with the ANBU, you're lucky, they could've done much worse to you."

"ANBU…?" Naruto asked slowly, swiveling around slowly to look at the girl. His eyes widened as he remembered the battle. "T-That's right! Those masked guys!" he growled. "And what was with that one teme? It was like he was predicting my moves before I even used them!"

"Ah… that was Kakashi." Tenten nodded in thought, "Captain of the ANBU corps. You're lucky you got off as easy as you did with him." _'Then again… he did seem to have him cornered… maybe I should ask him about it.'_ "Hey, Naruto."

The blonde blinked, tilting his head to look at the woman, "What is it?"

Tenten frowned a bit, "During that fight, there was a moment where you went kind of crazy and began beating on Kakashi… anything I need to know?"

"Huh?" Naruto frowned, "You're not mocking me are you? I know I got my ass handed to me by that Kakashi guy but I'll definitely beat him next time!"

'_He doesn't remember…? Or is there something else going on….'_ Tenten frowned. A loud rap on their door broke her from her thoughts. "That time already?" she frowned, sighing as she looked over at Naruto, "Time to get up hotshot, your life in prison begins now."

Naruto blinked in confusion, standing up from his bed as he followed Tenten out the apartment. The first thing he noticed as he stepped out into the warm streets was the endless rows of inmates. Men, women, and even children of all shapes and sizes stood alert, looking obediently ahead as the guards marched down each row taking headcounts and assigning each prisoner their duties for the day.

"Tenten…" Naruto asked sticking his head over the rail to look at all the people, "What is all of this?"

The girl frowned, pulling the blonde teen back discreetly, "It's Sunday, duty day."

"Duty day?" he asked curiously.

She nodded, "Usually the guards don't bother us, seeing as how they're forced to deal with Chakra-users enough as it is… but," she paused for a moment as a guard turned the corner towards them, "every Sunday the prison to make use of our…" she clicked her tongue in annoyance, "_abilities._ Based on our district we're tossed into one of three groups."

"Okay stop." Naruto deadpanned, "I asked for what was going on not an all-out lecture. If I wanted to hear you tell me all the details I would've just stayed in school the first time. Thanks but no thanks."

"Tch-!" Tenten grit her teeth in irritation, "What was that? You don't like the information I'm giving you! Listen here you little-!"

"Prisoners 9D-1, 9D-2, quiet down." The guard said as he approached them, "I have your duties for the day."

Tenten regained her composure, turning forward to stare at the guard blankly, "Hai."

"Prisoner 9D-1," the guard started, looking at his list, "You will be assisting with the cleaning of the Warden Monument."

Tenten nodded slowly, inwardly scowling at getting one of the worst jobs available. She quickly sent a glare to the mountain behind them, where four distinct faces were carved into the cold rock. _'Figures… maybe if I'm lucky hotshot will get the job too; god knows his clone technique would be useful…'_

"Prisoner 9D-2," the guard continued, "As a new prisoner, you are to report to District 4 for debriefing with instructor Umino Iruka, failure to appear will warrant you for a second strike."

'_Second strike…?'_ Naruto thought in confusion, wondering just what the hell that was about. "Um… Tenten…?"

"Don't look at me," the bun-haired girl huffed, turning back towards the apartment so she could get ready, "You don't want a lecture remember?" she smirked, disappearing into the small building.

Naruto scowled, "Fine then! I don't need your advice anyway!" With a loud huff, he headed out the residential section, briefly wondering just why the hell he didn't try to escape again.

Inside the building, Tenten smiled lightly as she reached for her work gloves, quietly slipping a small supply of shanks into her pockets. _'That Naruto… I wonder how long he'd last if he made it to three strikes…?_' she giggled, grabbing a small worn helmet and heading back out the door, _'Well… for now I shouldn't have to worry.'_

-HY-

Naruto scowled as he wandered through District 4, wondering just where in the hell this Iruka character was. The guard hadn't given him any exact directions, nor did he have a clue of what he would be doing. All he knew was that it was a debriefing, and if the man proved to be like the other guards, Naruto would be surprised if he managed to go five minutes without trying to crack his head in.

Grumbling to himself as he turned the corner, Naruto narrowed his eyes. _'What the hell is Sasuke Uchiha doing in District 4?'_ he thought angrily, _'Shouldn't he have been relaxing in the suites and other fine meals that his rich friends sent him?'_ Naruto scoffed, _'How annoying.'_

Still, if the Uchiha was here, there had to be a reason. Thinking back on it, Naruto blinked in surprise. That guard had said he was being debriefed… maybe all the new arrivals had to go through the same process?

Naruto smiled lightly, thinking it over. _'Well… it would make sense… why else would the rich brat make his way down to this level of the prison?'_ Swallowing once more in distaste, the blonde stepped forward, following the raven-haired teen into the building.

As he entered, Naruto noticed numerous guards looking down at him warily, as if he was something to be afraid of. _'It's always like this…'_ he thought, _'They treat us like animals… and we just sit here and take it!'_ Shaking his head to clear his thoughts, he continued stalking the silent teen before him, doing everything he could to keep him in view without seeming too suspicious.

It would be another five minutes before they arrived at his destination, and as the Uchiha entered the room, Naruto smirked. _'So I was right then…'_ he thought, his eyes examining a sign posted outside the door.

"Room Three, Instructor Umino Iruka." Naruto thought aloud, trying the name on his lips. "Iruka huh…?"

"Are you going to come in?" a voice asked from inside, "Or will you just keep holding up the group?"

Naruto's face flushed as he swiveled around to glare at the man inside. He was clad in the typical guard uniform, though his face carried a unique scar that ran across the middle of his face horizontally. "Hi there, I'm Iruka Umino." The man greeted, "You might want to take your seat now um…" he looked down and checked his list, "Naruto… Uzumaki right?"

The blonde blinked in surprise, "What…?"

It was the last thing he expected. He had thought that all the guards treated them like trash, but this guy… he actually used their names. The blonde frowned, there was something else about him too, but he couldn't tell just what.

"Well? We can't wait forever you know." Iruka said with a smile, gesturing for the teen to step in.

Before Naruto even processed what he was doing he was already sitting down, staring at the blackboard in a mixture of confusion and disbelief.

"Shocking… isn't it?" a voice spoke from beside him, "To think, that anyone would give a rat's ass about us."

Naruto turned his head slowly to find himself gazing into the face of Sasuke Uchiha. "Tch… as if!" Naruto huffed and turned away, not wanting to talk to the teen he saw as an "arrogant rich asshole". If he had been watching for a bit longer, he would've seen a slight frown appear on the teen's face.

"Alright then!" Iruka announced as the clock rang nine, "Let's get started shall we?"

The day proceeded smoothly. Iruka spent the first hour running through everyone's names, doing the best he could to make sure they were as comfortable as humanly possible. The next hour the guard spent teaching them about the way the prison worked, and Naruto frowned, hearing the term "duty day" several times during the lecture.

'_Damn…'_ Naruto thought with a frown, _'I didn't think going to prison meant I'd actually be learning anything either…'_

It wasn't until nearly Three PM that the man began to wrap up his lesson with the one thing Naruto seemed curious to learn about.

Strikes. He remembered earlier on trying to briefly get the information from Tenten, but the girl had disregarded him due to his earlier insinuation about her "teaching". He leaned forward in his seat, listening to what the man had to say.

"In this facility, we have a certain system we like to call strikes." Iruka began, beginning to draw an intricate diagram on the board, "Similar to the phrase "three strikes and you're out", this system revolves around the fact that many of the prisoners," Iruka paused to sigh, making Naruto wondered if he really believed what he was saying, "do whatever they can to get into trouble."

From beside the blonde Sasuke frowned. _'That's not right… the guards here are extremely biased… this Iruka is probably one of the lone few who actually treats us like humans… it's no wonder why so many of us get into trouble if we're surrounded by guards like these.'_

Naruto huffed, spotting the frown from the teen, _'What the hell's the matter with him? Whatever, he's probably just angry that he has to mingle with us common folk.'_

"So what happens when we get three strikes?" a pink-haired teen asked from the front. Naruto recognized her as Sakura Haruno, one of the people who had been with him when they first arrived at the prison. Now that he thought about it, Naruto took a quick glance around, recognizing many of the faces in the room.

"Well…" Iruka frowned slightly, thinking of how to explain, "I guess the easiest way to say it would be that you get thrown into the coliseum. Unlike the normal events you all will be participating in over the course of your time here... three-strike events are death matches. Like normal events, you Chakra-Users are put on display for the rest of the world to see. Sometimes you fight alone, and sometimes you fight with others... however, unlike normal matches... in Three-Strike Fights only one side leaves alive."

"But that's barbaric!" another girl called out from the back, and Naruto felt his hands tighten.

'_It doesn't matter to them…'_

Iruka looked down at his feet as the clock rang four, signaling the end of the debriefing. "Alright," he said finally, giving one last smile to the prisoners, "I've done what I could, do your best in Konoha, and stay out of trouble if you can." He left the room with a slight frown, ignoring the many eyes that fell on him as he left.

"Those bastards…" Naruto hissed to himself quietly. He wasn't the only one in the room that felt that way.

"What can you do…?" the Uchiha asked from beside him, "You're just one person."

Sasuke stood from his chair abruptly, heading down towards the door as the rest of the prisoners began to depart as well. Naruto glared at the teen's back, burning holes into the back of his head as he watched the room empty.

"Teme…" Naruto growled warningly. He was definitely going to have words with the Uchiha, whether he was a willing participant or not.

Unfortunately it seemed as though his luck had left for the day. No sooner than leaving the room was Naruto greeted by a crowd of swarming prisoners, no doubt returning to their districts after their own duties came to a close.

"D-Damn it-!" he growled, pushing his way through the bustling crowd, "Let me through!"

They ignored him, or rather, couldn't hear him. Who could, with all the noise going on? Naruto snarled angrily as he watched the Uchiha disappear behind numerous bodies, and with one last wail of annoyance, was dragged along helplessly into the masses.

-HY-

"He's annoying." Naruto declared for the third time, glaring at an amused Tenten relaxing on her bed.

"Oh come on," Tenten smirked back, "You probably haven't even talked to the guy properly. What? You just saw him on the bus here and thought, "He looks too calm for all this! He must be an asshole!"?" Tenten asked coyly.

The blonde flushed, glaring at the woman darkly as he crossed his knees, "I'm telling you, there's definitely something off with that teme! And the way he looks-!"

"Oh so it's how he looks now is it?" Tenten smirked. Even if they only knew each other for about a day, she knew she'd just love ticking the blonde off.

"Tenten…" Naruto growled warningly.

"Fine, fine." Tenten sighed finally, "Still, I really think you're overthinking this. I mean, despite what it looks like this is a prison. You can't expect everyone to be happy…"

Naruto stayed silent, his eyes gazing firmly on Tenten's figure.

Tenten sighed in resignation, "Alright…" she decided, "You said it was District One right? I know a few guys in the area… they might be able to help find this Uchiha you're so worried about."

Naruto grinned, "I knew you'd see it my way eventually."

Tenten grunted as she stood, tossing a shank past the blonde that cut into his cheek. "Don't get me wrong Naruto," the girl smirked, "This'll cost you… it's not like you earned any favors after all… but we'll worry about that later."

Naruto sweat dropped, having a feeling that whatever Tenten wanted wasn't going to be simple. "Um…"

The girl grinned, "So, let's get going shall we? No need to wait around."

Naruto nodded in agreement, and after preparing himself, headed out the apartment, jumping down into the darkened streets of the prison.

"Tch… to think, I'd be running into you guys my first day here." Sasuke grunted in the backstreets of District One, ducking beneath a narrow punch as he flipped away from his attacker, taking on a defensive stance. "Sorry, but I don't intend to cause problems here. Go bother someone else."

"An Uchiha, not cause problems?" one of the men grinned wildly, charging the teen and swinging wildly with their poorly-made blade.

Sasuke weaved through the swings easily, "I told you I'm not looking for problems. Why don't you guys give it a rest already?"

"Sorry Uchiha, but orders are orders." The other smirked, "And boss was pretty interested in having you begging at his feet, your condition doesn't really matter. As long as your body's there, he doesn't care how mangled you are."

'_Damn…'_ Sasuke thought, leaping back into an alley as he felt the man's blade across his arm, _'What're these guys talking about? A boss…?'_ his eyes narrowed slightly, _'Maybe they're part of a prison gang or something…? You never know when it comes to guys like this.'_

"What's the matter Uchiha?" the men asked in unison, "Why don't you use that chakra ability of yours? Not like it will matter. Against us, there's nothing you can do."

"Probably…" Sasuke sighed, bending down on one knee as he touched his wounded arm, "You guys at least know how to damage someone… I'm guessing it's those gauntlets you're both wearing?"

The men frowned as they saw a small wisp of chakra fly out from the teen kneeling before them. It was subtle, but something had definitely changed. It wasn't long before they noticed exactly what. With a slight frown on his features, the Uchiha looked up, his unusually dark eyes having shifted into a bleeding red. If one hadn't known just who they were dealing with, they would've thought the boy's eyes were bleeding.

"So that's it then… the ability all you freak Uchiha seem to gain…" one of the attackers murmured, "The Sharingan."

Sasuke stood slowly, looking at them both silently as he regarded their weapons. _'I know it's pointless… it's not like anything I do will end up helping the situation any.'_

-HY-

"So… what is this place?" Naruto asked curiously, frowning as Tenten sat patiently at the stand.

"Hmm, this place is Ichiraku's… the best smuggling ring you'll find in Konoha."

"Smuggling?" Naruto asked, louder than intended.

"Quiet down!" Tenten hissed, covering the boy's mouth just as a guard passed by the stand. "Jeez…" she sighed once they were in the clear, "With that mouth of yours you could've just gotten us all in huge trouble. Why do you have to be so loud?"

"Sorry…" Naruto apologized quietly, turning back to face the counter, "So… you said this place is a smuggling ring? For what exactly?"

Tenten shrugged, "The only thing that's really worth anything here… information." She grinned, "You never know what kind of secrets you'll come across in Konoha, but like with anywhere else, people gossip. Of course, if you don't have the right connections, it's highly unlikely you'll get any worthwhile information. That's where Ichiraku's comes in."

Naruto blinked in confusion as he listened to Tenten explain.

"Basically, if there's any information you need, and you don't have the connections, you come here. Teuchi and Ayame are two of the nicest people you'll ever meet in Konoha, not to mention…" Tenten grinned, "They make some of the best ramen combinations you'll ever find in a prison."

"Ramen?" Naruto asked incredulously, "Like that Instant Ramen stuff they gave us?"

Tenten frowned, "Don't compare their creations to that trash! It'd be an insult to the stand. Actually, do you have it on you? The Instant Ramen I mean."

Naruto nodded briefly, pulling the cup out from one of his larger pockets, "Well… yeah," he didn't know why he brought the rock-hard cup with him, but he realized it couldn't have really hurt to bring it along.

"Perfect…" Tenten grinned, snatching the substance from him and slamming it on the counter, filling the stand with a resounding CRACK. Naruto winced from the sound, not quite used to hearing how prison food sounded just yet. Of course, he wasn't prepared for what happened next either.

Mere seconds after the sound had echoed through the stand, a pair of apron-wearing prisoners appeared, their faces smiling at the sight of customers. Naruto frowned in confusion as he gazed upon them. One seemed to be an older man, ranging between his late 50's or early 60's. The other didn't even appear half his age and Naruto wondered if it was perhaps a daughter or granddaughter he was staring at.

"Ah Tenten," the older man greeted, "It's been a while, come to trade in some ramen have you?"

Tenten grinned, "Not me Teuchi, it's the newcomer, the little hotshot that tried to break out yesterday, let me introduce you to Naruto Uzumaki."

The two turned to gaze at the orange-clad blonde, smiling at him as they took the ramen from Tenten's hands.

"I see, so you're the one who got in that scuffle with Kakashi huh?" Teuchi asked, "Made a lot of sales thanks to that I did. If you ever need information, don't think twice about coming here, Ayame will handle you for now."

"Er… thanks?" Naruto asked, unsure of how to interpret the man's words.

The younger girl waved him off, as if continuing the older man's thoughts. "Don't worry about it." She leaned forward on the counter, "So then Uzumaki…" Ayame smiled slightly, "What can I do for you today?"

Naruto tapped his chin in thought, "Well, I was actually wondering about this Uchiha guy…"

"Sasuke Uchiha?" she asked, "Say no more. Lots of people have been asking about him lately actually. I was kind of surprised at how much people wanted to know about a newcomer, then again," she smiled at the blonde, "You have that going for you yourself don't you?"

Naruto's face flushed as he scratched his cheek sheepishly, "Yeah I guess…" he shook his head, "A-Anyway, what can you tell me about that rich teme?"

"Not much to tell…" Ayame sighed, "Arrived yesterday with the rest of the newcomers like yourself… doesn't really talk to anyone, doesn't cause problems, avoids conflict as much as possible… it's almost like he just doesn't care about how people treat him."

Tenten tapped her chin in thought, "What about his time before prison? Any information there?"

"Well, we did here a few rumors from passing guards…" Ayame admitted, "Let's see… based on what I remember off the top of my head, he lived most of his life alone, having been disowned by his family for having chakra manifested abilities. Umm… I know he spent it searching for some… Itachi Uchiha. A brother maybe…? Sorry, I don't remember much more than that at the moment."

Naruto frowned, it seemed as though Sasuke wasn't quite the rich bastard he'd taken him for. "Where can I find him?"

-HY-

Sasuke cried out as his body crashed against the back of the alley, sliding down until it slumped against the trashy floor.

"Tch, so that's all he could do in the end after all huh?" his assailant scoffed, walking forward and pulling the teen to his feet. "Not so special with your eyes blinded eh Uchiha?"

"A-Am I…?" Sasuke said weakly, grunting in pain as the man kneed him in the gut.

"Heh, wouldn't you like to know? Hey Meizu, why don't you come on over and get in on the fun?" the man smirked, "We might as well rough the kid up some more before dropping him off."

"Gozu, you always get so caught up in your work," his partner, Meizu, sighed as he stepped forward, "Still… I don't see why we can't have a little more fun…" he punched Sasuke in the stomach, his gauntlet causing twice the pain as an ordinary punched. "Heh, what's wrong Uchiha? I thought you were going to teach us a lesson?"

"D-Damn it…" Sasuke said weakly, falling to his knees as his vision wobbled in and out of view. "I knew it was hopeless…"

"Who would've thought, the Uchiha can show some helplessness after all." Meizu murmured, kicking the teen while he was down.

Sasuke took the blows quietly, falling back and staring up at the two weakly, _'Tch… Itachi… it was just like you said… this place…!'_ his thoughts were cut off as another blow crunched into his gut, and he coughed as blood splattered the ground beside him.

"Gozu stop. We don't want to hand him over too roughed up after all." Meizu growled.

"Tch, already?" Gozu scoffed, "We were just getting started."

"I know, but you know how he can get. Better if we turn him over now and get off easy."

Gozu grunted, but he knew his brother was right, "Fine. We'll go drop him off now." He grabbed the teen by the hair, intent on dragging him out the alley.

"The hell?" a voice asked from the edge of the alley, confused as to the scene before him.

"Tch, another runt huh…?" Meizu asked, narrowing his eyes slightly as he stared at Naruto's darkened form.

"That person… it's Sasuke." Naruto noted, clenching his fists slightly, _'What the hell's going on…? He's all beat up… don't tell me…'_ "You two… did you do this to him?"

"Idiot… of course we did." Gozu stated proudly, "What's the matter, friend of yours?"

Naruto's eyes widened at the implications, "No… I don't even know the guy."

Gozu grinned, "Good, then you won't mind us leaving with him." He and Meizu strolled past Naruto, dragging Sasuke along as Naruto stood there for a brief moment.

"Naruto…" Sasuke said weakly, looking at the blonde as he passed.

His captors growled, Gozu pausing to deliver yet another kick to the teen, causing a pained yelp to escape. "Shut up, we've heard enough of your voice."

Naruto scowled. He had thought that Sasuke had been taunting the men… but with the way things were going…

Gozu's eyes widened as he felt a sudden hand grip down on his shoulder, and he turned his head to stare the blonde in the eye.

"I may not know the teme…" Naruto started, his cerulean eyes flaring angrily as he tightened his free hand, "but I can't overlook someone beating on a helpless person."

The assailant growled, "What're you gonna do about-!" his words were cut off as he felt several teeth fly from his face, a typical result of having your face smashed in by an angry blonde. Meizu turned on his heel hearing the noise, and widened his eyes as he watched Gozu fly past him as a result of the chakra-infused punch.

"I'll teach you about ganging up on others!" Naruto spoke angrily, forming the cross sign he used before as numerous clones surrounded the surprised pair.

Sasuke looked up at the blonde in confusion, "Naruto… you…"

"I don't like you." Naruto said firmly, stepping in front of Sasuke as he glared at Gozu and Meizu, "You're distant, weird, and the look on your face pisses me off."

Sasuke stared at Naruto, waiting for him to finish.

"But more importantly than that…" Naruto continued, folding his arms as Gozu slowly climbed to his feet, "I don't like the fact that you gave up so easily."

Gozu growled as he wiped the blood from his mouth, "You bastard… you smashed my face in… don't think you'll get away with this."

Naruto ignored him. "So, Sasuke… how long are you going to sit there like a useless child? You're not… _scared_ are you?"

Something in Sasuke shifted as he heard his words, as if remembering a vision of a dream long past. He closed his eyes briefly, recalling a familiar warmth he had long forgotten.

"_What's the matter freak?" a teen asked a crying Sasuke, "Sad about your mummy and daddy leaving you behind?"_

"_You take that back!" the younger Sasuke shouted, "They didn't abandon me… and I'm not a freak!"_

"_Oh yeah, prove it!" the teen smirked, not expecting the boy to do anything. Unfortunately for him, he was wrong. Sasuke had leapt back to his feet, roaring angrily as he jumped the boy and his two buddies, leaving them beaten and bruised as he shook the teen by the collar. "You take it back! I'm not a freak!"_

"_M-Monster!" the other two boys shouted, running as fast as they could out the alley._

Sasuke sighed, dusting himself off and rising to his feet slowly, "How annoying… I thought things would be different here… it's still the same…"

Meizu narrowed his eyes, "You're standing… that shouldn't be possible."

Sasuke smiled lightly, "I'm not as weak as you thought I am. Your attacks… they barely fazed me."

"Idiot… Don't go saying something so stupid when you look all beaten up." Naruto scoffed, though he had a grin on his face. "So, you finally ready to take care of these guys? Or are you just gonna sit back and let me handle it?"

Sasuke smirked, fully standing and stepping beside the blonde, "I'll take care of the one on the left… just don't get in my way… loser."

"That's my line, bastard." Naruto grinned.

Meizu and Gozu both narrowed their eyes, their gauntlets releasing narrow chains that were caught at the end by a sharpened blade. "Looks like we'll have to take you a bit more seriously now…" Meizu mused, to which Sasuke merely smirked.

"Perhaps…" Sasuke said, reactivating his Sharingan before blazing towards the man, "but anything you do is useless now." He reappeared behind Meizu easily, his hand cocked back prepared to lunge out towards the man's neck.

"Meizu!" Gozu shouted, swinging his chain forward only to be caught in the face by a flying kick courtesy of the Uzumaki.

"You won't have time to help him! I'm your opponent!" Naruto grinned, cracking his knuckles.

"Why you…!" Gozu growled, running at the blonde and thrusting the chain-blade towards his gut. Naruto rolled to the side, the blade clanging against a wall helplessly as Naruto spun on his heel, grabbing Gozu's extended arm and flipping him over his shoulder, smashing the man to the ground beneath them.

Meizu had barely avoided Sasuke's sneak attack, having raised his arm in the nick of time to avoid what would have been a one hit K.O. He cocked his arm back, sending two distinct punches towards the Uchiha that were both dodged with ease before being kneed in the chest, followed by a sharp kick to the chin that lifted them both from the ground.

"Too easy…" Sasuke murmured, grabbing Meizu from underneath mid-fall and spinning him around, driving a second kick into the man's stomach as they landed.

Gozu coughed blood as Naruto drove yet another fist into his face. He had no idea why it was so hard to hit the blonde, and it didn't help that they were surrounded by a ring of the orange prisoner either. He staggered back several feet, caressing his broken nose as Naruto ran at him once more, skidding behind him and grabbing him beneath the shoulders before lifting him up and suplexing him to the ground.

"Uzumaki Crash!" Naruto grinned, dropping Gozu to the ground as he watched the man fall unconscious. "Heh, this guy was weak."

Sasuke too was wrapping up the last of his fight, having repeatedly kicked Meizu into the ground with ease.

"But… how?" Meizu asked weakly, still on one knee as he stared at Sasuke.

The Uchiha closed his eyes for a second as he smiled, "Wouldn't you like to know?" he shot back, before driving a fist forward that would knock the man unconscious.

Tenten smiled as she watched the scene from the rooftops, "So I was right after all… Naruto is so going to hear about this when we get back…."

The two teens were staring at each other blankly for several moments, Naruto warmed up and prepared to fight before Sasuke spoke slowly.

"Naruto… thank you."

The blonde blinked, utterly confused as to why the Uchiha had thanked him, "What…? I didn't really do anything."

The raven-haired teen shook his head, "No… even if you don't know… I suppose it doesn't matter. Regardless, I thank you for your assistance… if you hadn't had come…"

"You could've handled them." Naruto answered for him, "I didn't do anything… though I wouldn't have minded slapping some sense into you earlier." The blonde frowned.

"Heh…" Sasuke smiled lightly, "It probably would've helped a bit… tch!" he winced, gripping his side in pain, "Looks like those guys wounded me more than I thought…"

Naruto folded his arms, "Idiot. That's what I was saying earlier… acting all cool when you're all beaten up."

Tenten smiled as she watched the blonde reluctantly move to help the kid. Despite how it looked, they'd probably get along just fine.

-HY-

Several hours had passed, and Meizu and Gozu stood before their boss silently, their heads kneeled towards the ground for their failure in what should have been an easy mission.

"So let me get this straight…" a pair of dark brown eyes glared out at the two of them, "You two, fully grown men, were beaten by a self-destructive runt and his overeager sidekick?"

Meizu jumped at the words, feeling them cut through his body as deep as a sword. Gozu swallowed, "But sir you don't understand, they-!"

A loud crash cut off Gozu's shouts, and the two flinched, glancing at each other warily.

"Don't tell me that I don't understand…" the man murmured, "I understand all too well… The Uchiha brat was old news… but an orange-clad prisoner… that must've been Naruto Uzumaki." A wry grin could be seen working its way onto his face, "I look forward to our meeting…"

* * *

><p><strong>Uh Oh! Seems like Naruto's actions have garnered the attention of the "Boss"! Will he be able to withstand whatever attacks the man decides to send at him? With a newfound friend in Sasuke, he just might survive, but what of the other prisoners? Where do they fit into the equation? Find out on the next exciting chapter of Blood Prison Konoha!<strong>

**And as always, Review!**


	3. The First Match

**It seems the "Boss" has set his eyes on one Naruto Uzumaki! With Naruto just now getting settled into the routine of the prison, will he stand a chance against one who's been there much longer? And what about these "Events" Iruka briefly spoke of? Perhaps the answer to the mystery will be found in this exciting chapter of Blood Prison Konoha!**

* * *

><p><strong>The First Match<strong>

Naruto yawned as he wandered around the apartment, a steaming bowl of Instant Ramen grasped in his hands as he took a seat in the bare living room. It had been a week since he befriended the curious Sasuke Uchiha, and he was slowly growing accustomed to life in Konoha. He had seen Tenten rarely during the course of the week, but he assumed that it was because she had her own problems to deal with.

The blonde sighed, raising his head as he heard the door knock. "It's open!" he shouted, watching quietly as Sasuke entered the room followed by a blonde woman Naruto recognized from the debriefing.

"Hey, Naruto." Sasuke greeted, waving nonchalantly as Naruto deadpanned.

"Oi Sasuke…" the Uzumaki murmured, "Why do you keep bringing this blonde harlot here? This isn't a brothel."

The woman scowled, leaping out from behind Sasuke to whack the blonde across the head, "Idiot! I'm not some whore!" she snarled, leaning back with a huff as she glared down at the teen, "Why Sasuke puts up with you I'll never know!"

"Calm down Ino," Sasuke said calmly, "he didn't mean anything by it, did you Naruto?"

"O-Of course not…" Naruto sweat dropped, eyeing the girl warily.

Her name was Ino Yamanaka, master of the mind and all things plant-related. At some point during the week Sasuke had befriended her, taking advantage of his status to get her out of a tough spot with several guards. The woman had thanked him, and before long, he found himself being followed by the teen despite several protests. Eventually he'd just given up.

"Naruto, it's time to go," Sasuke informed the blonde, "We've been called for a meeting with the Warden."

"We have?" Naruto asked in confusion, "What for?"

"Idiot," Ino huffed, "It's just so we can meet him. It's not like any of us have done anything to warrant attention yet!"

Naruto and Sasuke smirked inwardly. It seemed like Ino didn't hear about Naruto's attempted break out and their run-in with the "Demon Brothers". Of course, it wasn't as if anyone even learned of the attack. According to Tenten, (who Naruto had discovered had watched the entire scene, much to his dismay), the "Demon Brothers" would lose too much reputation if it came out that they were defeated by a pair of "rookies", as they were called.

"Fine," Naruto grinned, slurping down the rest of the ramen with a coughing fit from the taste following soon after, "Let's go."

-HY-

Whatever Naruto expected from the Warden, a relatively peaceful and aged man wasn't it. As he stood in the center of the line along with the rest of the rookies, he could feel himself being appraised from the man seated before them. A small pipe was clad in the man's mouth, and his hands were intertwined on the desk before him, as he regarded each prisoner with a calm and steady gaze.

"So Iruka…" the Warden mused, turning his eyes to Iruka for a brief moment, "These are the new arrivals you spoke so well of?"

The guard nodded, "Yes sir."

The Warden looked over them once more, removing the pipe away as he let a single puff of air fly from his lips. "I see…" he said finally, "In case you haven't been already, allow me to say, Welcome to Konoha."

The prisoners remained silent, looking at the man with calm and composed stares.

"As you've no doubt seen over the course of the past week, unlike typical prisons there is a still a slight sense of freedom, but do not allow this privilege to go to your head," he warned, "Your freedoms have been given on a whim, and on that same whim, they can be taken away."

Naruto clenched his hand slightly, a motion that the Warden did not miss.

"You there," he stated, pointing his pipe at the blonde, "Do you have a problem with what I just said?"

"A problem…? Of course I have a problem!" Naruto growled, "You're acting like we're slaves! You say freedom is our privilege… what about you? Did you have to grow up in fear of being discovered? We're not monsters you-!"

"Naruto, calm down." Sasuke stated from beside him, nudging the blonde with an elbow, "Don't cause problems… not right now."

The blonde scowled, but listened. As much as he hated to admit it Sasuke was right, the Warden wouldn't be as stupid as to leave himself in a room with one guard and a group of Chakra-users unprotected. Dropping his arms in resignation, he stepped back, keeping a fierce glare on the man responsible for running the prison.

"Hmm… your friend is wise." The Warden murmured, his eyes cast on the television lying in the corner of the room. Lifting the remote on the side of his desk, he flipped through the channels, searching for the one he knew would make his point to the new prisoners.

"You should listen to his words carefully Uzumaki," the Warden said slowly, flipping onto the correct channel. "Otherwise, a fate such as this may befall you."

The nine prisoners turned around, staring at the television with wide eyes. Naruto's too widened, recognizing the scene before him.

"And we're back!" an announcer shouted through the microphone. Based on what Naruto could see, it appeared to be some sort of show. He clenched his hands, if the Warden was showing it to them; it could only be one kind of show…

"Welcome back to the Chunin Arena!" the announcer shouted, grinning in the face of what appeared to be a large crowd. The sound of their cheers and shouts could be heard through the TV, and Naruto's eyes narrowed on the two figures that were facing each other solemnly. Beside them lay the body of fallen teammates, blood and sweat filling the ground as the two remaining fighters glared at each other.

"This is a…" Ino trailed off.

"Yes…" the Warden said solemnly, "This is a Three-Strike Fight."

Naruto clenched his hands once more, gritting his teeth as he felt the beginnings of an uncontrollable rage come over him. _'Nothing more than Gladiators for their amusement….'_

Inside the ring, the two competitors circled each other slowly. Naruto's eyes flashed as he gazed on the sigil on the two fighter's armaments. Both had a leaf-like mark carved into the side of their uniforms.

"Those two… they're both from here… aren't they?" Kiba asked, also picking up on the markings.

"Yes. More than half the fights you all will be participating in will be against your fellow Konoha prisoners. Very rarely do we have inter-prison events, and when we do, nearly everyone pays top dollar to watch you fight it out."

"This is horrible…" Sakura whispered, "How can they watch people do this so simply…?"

"People will do anything for entertainment." Sasuke answered, looking at the television resignedly. "Regardless of how it affects others, as long as they get what they want… who cares?"

Naruto scowled. With the way the Warden explained it, there was a chance he'd end up fighting someone he knew. Already there was a chance of him having to fight it out with Sasuke or Ino, if he got a third strike would he be forced to kill one of them in the arena?

He growled, watching as one of the fighters cut down the other with relative ease. _'These prisoners have done it for so long they no longer feel anything… more than half the people in these prisoners… they've probably never fought a day in their lives! And yet… to be forced into this bloody sport for someone's amusement…!'_ "Damn it!"

"It seems you finally understand…" the Warden murmured, flipping the television off, "You all are dismissed, from this day onward, you are true prisoners of Konoha. You will live by our rules… fight by our rules… and die… by our rules."

The prisoner's glared at the man, but all of them were too smart to make a move. Even Naruto held back, knowing that if he attacked not only would he mostly likely be put down again, but earn yet another strike against his record.

'_A life of kill or be killed…_' he thought, narrowing his eyes, _'And here I thought prison would be different.'_

Naruto didn't get any sleep that night. So of course, when the sound of numerous knocks on the door came early morning, he wasn't the one to answer it.

"Naruto…" Tenten yawned tiredly; attempting to wake the boy, "Naruto…!" she tried louder, shaking the boy in frustration. "Man… you can really sleep hotshot." She grabbed one of her kunai-shaped weapons, prodding the boy in the side painfully.

"Eh…?" he asked, his eyes opening slowly as he gazed into his roommate's face.

"Get up…" the bun-haired teen told him, "It's time."

"Time…?" Naruto asked curiously, "Time for what?"

The girl frowned, "It's your first day as a real prisoner now that your processing is done… They should have told you what that means. Naruto," she looked at him calmly, "it's time for your first match."

She didn't have to tell him. By the time the words had gotten out her mouth, two heavily armed guards had entered the apartment brandishing weapons that would have made the ANBU look like small children. The entered the room, both standing just on the side of his bed as Tenten returned to her own fearfully.

Naruto frowned, if they could make someone like Tenten fearful, they had to be pretty powerful. Sliding out his bed slowly, he nearly cried as they clasped those accursed binds on him once more. Grabbing him by the collar, the two men began pulling him out the apartment. With one last look at the girl, Naruto thought she may have mouthed "Good Luck" to him, but he knew there was no way that woman was care about whether or not he survived.

As he stepped outside and felt his binds connect with the others around him, Naruto quickly glanced around for any familiar faces. He swallowed; it looked as though all the rookies were around him. Hell, he could even see the back of Sasuke's head several people ahead.

They were marched through the area slowly, collecting several more prisoners before heading to their destination. Naruto could practically feel the sun beat down upon the top of his head as they waited for the bus to arrive, no doubt to cart them off to their lives as human entertainment.

Naruto sat silently with the rest of the prisoners, all of them looking forward as they drove slowly through the forest, taking a path Naruto had not yet seen. Unlike when they first arrived, the bus was filled with guards as well, no doubt to ensure there would be no problems regarding the future participants.

He scoffed, like anyone would fight… more than half of them had probably given up like Sasuke had, and had merely resigned themselves to their fate. The bus slowed as it entered the Arena, the prisoners remaining silent as the full view of the facility came into view.

After arriving, the prisoners were once again dragged off the bus, their binds glowing bright as they headed down into the dungeons to wait for commands.

They'd be left there for hours, no one saying a word as they quietly thought of the worst that could happen. Sure they weren't in a Three Strikes Fight, but that didn't mean accidents couldn't happen. A murder in a nonlethal match… that would be sure to make the crowd go wild.

Naruto sighed, all he could do was wait… and wait he did.

-HY-

One by one his fellow prisoners left the building, at some times he'd see one or two of them returning from their battles tired and worn, and occasionally a medical unit would fly by, carting a mangled body beneath their midst.

He sighed, frowning as he stared up at the gates that would lead him to his opponent. Why the hell did they have to place them in a place where they couldn't see the actual matches?

"Worried?" A lavender-haired girl asked from across him, her arms folded in front of her as she stared boringly towards the arena. "It won't do you any good you know." She told him, "Anxiety… it doesn't help you."

Naruto wrinkled his nose at the girl, "I'm not worried. I could handle anybody they throw at me in there!"

"Oh that's right…" the girl nodded, "The same way you handled that ANBU Captain you fought on our first day here?"

"Well, who are you anyway?" Naruto asked incredulously.

"Me…?" the girl brushed the hair out her eyes, letting it fall down her back, "My name is Hinata Hyuga, former heiress of the Hyuga."

Naruto narrowed his eyes slightly as he regarded the girl, "Hyuga?"

"A family regarded to be as rich as the Uchiha." Hinata clarified, "Of course, we don't have nearly the same amount of pull as _his_ family." She paused, seeing the look that came across Naruto's face, "Oh… that's right… you two are friends, aren't you?"

"What about it?" Naruto asked protectively.

"Nothing," the girl's pale eyes settled on his own as a small smirk fell across her features, "Nothing at all."

'_This girl… she's creeping me out.'_ The blonde thought, feeling her eyes pierce through him.

"I look forward to seeing what you can do Naruto." Hinata smiled as a guard came into view.

"Prisoner 9D, Prisoner 2A, your time has come."

The pair stood blankly, looking at each other emotionlessly as their binds fell harmlessly to the ground.

"So I'm fighting her?" Naruto asked the guard, only to get a short curt laugh in response.

"Her? No, no, you two have been chosen for a two on two match. It seems the crowd got a little riled up from the last one, so the Warden decided to give them a bit more entertainment."

"Of course..." Naruto grunted, "Why am I not surprised?"

Hinata smirked as she stepped beside the blonde, "Well, it looks like we're a team now Naruto." The girl whispered in his ear, "Try not to hold me back, ne?"

Naruto shivered as he heard her words. It was a simple enough request, but there was something behind it, a threat of pain if he didn't follow through. Steeling himself as he watched the girl step forward, he shook his head, and followed her through the gate.

As they stared out across the large coliseum-like stadium, they could feel the cheers of the crowd shaking the ground beneath them. Thousands of spectators stood in the stands above, protected from any angry Chakra-users by a sleek blue Chakra-absorbent glass. Looking at it, Naruto supposed it was possible that it was made out of the substance those accursed binds were.

At the top of the stands, two familiar figures looked down towards the arena. Naruto's eyes narrowed as he spotted them. One was familiar enough; after all, the blonde had just met him the day before. However, the person that the Warden was next to… Naruto clenched his hands and grit his teeth in irritation.

Seated beside the Warden… was Danzo Shimura.

"Calm down." Hinata said from beside him, "There's nothing you can do about it right now."

"You-?" Naruto growled, swiveling around to stare at the girl only to pause. Her own eyes were narrowed on the man. It seemed the blonde wasn't the only one to dislike Danzo after all.

"**And here we go!"** the announcer's voice boomed around them, **"Welcome Spectators… to the final match of today's Chunin Arena!"**

Naruto and Hinata turned their eyes forward, staring towards their opponents. The resigned faces of Kiba and Sakura stared back at them.

"Tch, Dog-boy huh…?" Naruto grimaced, "This'll be easy, just you watch, you won't even have to do anything!"

Hinata smirked at him, "Oh? Then go right ahead Naruto," she paused, "Let's see just what you can do."

Naruto frowned for a moment, he wasn't too happy about having to fight for entertainment, but… "Hey mutt!" he taunted, "I'm gonna kick your ass for interrupting my escape!"

Kiba grit his teeth as a feral expression overcame him. He bent down, channeling chakra as Akamaru leapt into existence beside him. "You blonde bastard! That's my line! If it wasn't for you I'd have no problem getting out of here!"

"**Oh!"** the announcer's voice once again boomed around them, **"It seems these two prisoners have a history! Will their emotions show just how they really feel about each other?"**

"SHUT UP!" they both shouted at the same time, running towards each other as Naruto summoned a clone. Kiba was prepared, and Akamaru leapt out from beside him, snagging the clone by the color as it began grappling with him in the dirt.

As his clone distracted the dog, Naruto grit his teeth and ran forward, cocking his fist back and aiming at Kiba's chest. Kiba's eyes widened by the sudden attack and reeled back to dodge the blow, but it was too late. Naruto's fist plowed forward, intent on smashing Kiba square in the chest, only to be stopped by a masked ANBU member.

Naruto's eyes widened as he recognized the figure, and winced slightly as he felt a short spark of electricity run through his body from the man's glove.

"Hold on…" the man said in an eerily familiar voice, "They haven't said start yet."

"**And a would-be penalty is stopped by none-other than Kakashi Hatake himself! Prisoner 9D must have the angel of luck on his side today! If that hit had connected he would've been liable to receive a strike!"**

Eyes widening comically at that piece of information, Naruto leapt back. "E-EH?"

Hinata giggled at the teen's antics, "Perhaps we should work together Naruto. It wouldn't do for you to make a fool of yourself."

Naruto glowered at the girl and huffed, shaking the few remnants of electricity from his hand as he watched Kakashi once again disappear from view. _'That guy… he's watching me…'_ he noted, keeping a firm gaze on Kiba who was smirking at him ruefully.

"What's with the face asshole? It wasn't like you blocked my attack!" Naruto glared.

Kiba's eyes narrowed as he turned to Sakura, who had been relatively silent during the confrontation. "You take the chick. I'll deal with the blonde."

"What was that?" Sakura asked darkly, not liking the tone behind Kiba's words, "You wouldn't happen to have something against women now would you…?" she cracked her knuckles.

"O-Of course not… it's just I don't know her name so…"

Sakura nodded, but kept a firm eye on the teen.

'_Jeez… what's with the women in this prison?'_ Kiba sighed in relief, turning back to Naruto.

"**And it seems like the commercial break is finally over! Now, the tag-team match between Prisoners 9D and 2A against Prisoners 2B and 4C are about to commence!"**

The ANBU Captain who had blocked Naruto's punch had raised his hand, taking several steps back to free up the space before dropping it rapidly and disappearing altogether.

"**And the match begins!"** the announcer shouted, and all four fighters leapt into motion.

Hinata extended both her palms, assuming a graceful posture as her pale eyes grew even paler, emitting veins that gave her perfect vision of all things. She could see the Haruno lunging down towards her, and she prepared herself, quickly raising her hands to slide past the rosette's arm, tapping it several times before her free hand clocked the girl in the side, sending her spiraling into the dirt.

Sakura quickly leapt back up, wincing as she looked at numerous red dots that appeared across her arm, "What did you do to me…?" she asked, her arm feeling numb as she touched it momentarily.

Hinata smirked, "My ability allows me to see all your insides, and so much more… using it, it was all too easy to see your pressure points, and I attacked the necessary joints to hinder your attack."

"I see…" Sakura smiled lightly, shaking her wounded arm momentarily as feeling slowly returned, "Then I'll have to be sure you don't hit anymore won't I…?"

The two smirked at each other, and their battle began anew.

Naruto growled, ducking beneath Akamaru's assaults as he barely managed to fend off the numerous blows Kiba threw in. _'Damn it…!'_ he thought, _'They aren't giving me any time to get off any clones! How the hell am I supposed to fight these guys?'_ he ducked down just as Akamaru lunged over him, jaws wide as chakra flew from its jagged lips. Pushing weight onto his left hand, Naruto plowed upward, delivering a skyward kick that knocked the air from the chakra being. He had gained time, but not for long.

Flipping back to his feet to avoid Kiba's follow up swing, Naruto crouched down once more, lunging into Kiba with a shoulder tackle that pushed them both off their feet. The two rolled through the dirt, both tugging at each other as they tried to get the upper hand. Landing in an upward position, Naruto grinned, preparing to punch Kiba in the face only to be lunged onto by Akamaru himself.

'_Tch!'_ Naruto thought as he kept the creature's jaws from his face, "Pesky little runt aren't you…?" he asked, pulling his knees up to flip the dog to the side.

Hinata frowned as Sakura crunched a crater into the earth, sending hordes of great earth tunneling towards her. Rolling to the side, Hinata spun on her heel, flying down the same path besides the earth before slamming an open palm into Sakura's stomach. The rosette winced, but held her ground, already pushing for a right hook.

Hinata saw the attack, and responded, ducking down just enough so the fist flew over her head. Sakura cursed, looking down at the girl as she pushed her left knee up to stop a counterattack. Hinata lifted her chin just enough so the attack would miss, but was forced to flip back several paces so as to not overextended her movements. That flip was just what Sakura was hoping for, taking advantage of Hinata's movements to leap forward, chakra running through her veins as she attempted for another Earth-shattering punch.

Hinata's eyes widened.

Naruto grinned as he blocked Kiba's punch, swiveling on his heel to toss the teen into Akamaru before forming the cross-seal, "Finally! Now let me show you my technique!"

"Tch!" Kiba growled as he lunged back to his feet, intent on stopping Naruto from forming a clone.

"Too late!" Naruto grinned, "I'll show you all… the Kage Bunshin!" he grinned, clouds of smoke erupting around him as he filled the arena with his being. Kiba's eyes widened as his brain grinded to a halt, and Akamaru too swiveled around, watching all the blondes with widened dog eyes.

"S-So many…" Kiba gasped in astonishment, unconsciously taking a step back.

"**And look at that ability!"** the announcer roared to the crowd, **"It seems Prisoner 9D had an ace up his sleeve after all! Will Prisoner 2B be able to handle this sudden shift in the struggle?"**

Naruto smirked ever so slightly, "Tell me... oh king of mutts." The clones all began circling around Kiba and Akamaru, pulling their circle closer together ever so slightly, "Do you have enough fangs?"

And they lunged.

Sakura's eyes were wide as she staggered back slowly, her hand pulled back and grasped over her chest. "What… did you…" she fell to her knees "I can't… I can't…"

"Breathe?" Hinata finished her statement, "Of course not," she smirked, "I attacked your lungs after all."

Sakura's eyes narrowed at the revelation, "But… when did you…?" she paused, her eyes widening as she suddenly understood.

_That flip was just what Sakura was hoping for, taking advantage of Hinata's movements to leap forward, chakra running through her veins as she attempted for another Earth-shattering punch._

_Hinata's eyes widened._

_Cocking forward as she felt the rosette's fist fly past her face inches from delivering a fatal blow, Hinata threw her right arm out, a two fingered attack slamming into Sakura's center._

"Your… counter…? It was… a pressure point…?" Sakura understood.

"That's right." Hinata said smiling, "Don't worry… this isn't a death match… I'll release it… as soon as you're unconscious, that is."

Sakura winced as she felt the last of her air run out, _'D-Damn it… I can't… shit…'_ she fell to the ground in defeat.

"**And Prisoner 4C goes down! I wonder, how Prisoner 2B will handle being the last of his team standing?"**

Kiba grunted as he dodged clone after clone, both he and Akamaru were unable to get close enough to land a hit. Naruto grinned as he kept bombarding the pair, leaving them no room to breathe as the circle continued to grow smaller.

"Gatsuuga!" Kiba roared, intent on tearing the clones to shreds if it meant winning. He and Akamaru swirled about in a tornado, slicing through the numerous blondes as Naruto narrowed his eyes slightly.

"Like that'll work!" he shouted at them, crouching down and forcing his power into one hand, "You're finished!" he yelled at the feral teen, plowing his unguarded fist directly into Kiba's chin, feeling the violent whirl of the tornado rip at his skin. Naruto winced, but pressed onward, tightening his hand's grip on itself as he shot it upward with a violent cry, blood flying from his arm as the mini-tornado ceased, and Kiba went flying into the air. "It's time to end this!" Naruto roared, utilizing a clone to toss him upward above Kiba.

'_He's high enough…'_ he thought briefly, _'It'll work!'_ Flipping over so he stared down at Kiba from above, Naruto raised his leg.

Kiba's eyes widened as he felt himself fly towards the blonde. _'That technique!'_ he thought in fury, remembering what had happened to the ANBU that had been hit with it.

_Above them, another Naruto clone had leapt down from a rooftop, his leg raised into the air as he fell towards the flying ANBU._

_"Take this! My Uzumaki barrage!" the blonde clone shouted, slamming his leg into the man's face and sending him rocketing down back to Earth. Landing with a thud, the man barely had time to move before yet another clone appeared behind him, holding him from behind as another clone began beating on him profusely._

'_I can't let myself be hit with that!'_ he thought, raising his hands to guard himself. Naruto smirked from above.

"Heh…" the blonde said with a small smile, before twisting himself in midair, so that he was facing Kiba upside down. "Your guard won't help you." He murmured, slinging a kick down towards Kiba's side.

The Inuzuka winced, his body shifting in midair from the blow, but he kept his guard, knowing that Naruto was trying to make him lower it. Shifting himself once more, the blonde whacked Kiba again, and he grinned, feeling a bone or two pop out of place.

Kiba cried out in pain as they both began descending, and Naruto grinned, "Time to finish this…" he murmured, adjusting himself so he was inches from Kiba.

"What're you…?" Kiba's eyes widened, suddenly feeling Naruto grab his arm, twisting it to spin the Inuzuka over so he was facing the ground.

"Like I said…" the blonde grinned, "Your guard won't help you!" pushing Kiba down slightly so he'd have room to maneuver, Naruto flipped once more, raising his leg as he prepared to strike. "Naruto…"

'_Shit! I can't move!'_ Kiba thought, his eyes widening as the ground flew towards him.

"Backwards Barrage!" he shouted, and the two collided in a mass of dust of debris.

Hinata frowned as she felt the collision from her place, and she brought her guard up, narrowing her eyes as she attempted to see through the dirt.

"**What an attack!"** the announcer roared, **"Did Prisoner 2B even stand a chance against that kind of power?"**

"U-Urk!" Kiba's voice rang out weakly.

'_He's still conscious?'_ Hinata thought, preparing to finish the battle in Naruto's stead.

As the dust cleared, Kiba was standing weakly across from Naruto, both their bodies bloodied and bruised from the initial contact.

"Still standing…" Naruto said slowly, "You're not bad Kiba…"

'_He used my name…?'_ Kiba thought, chuckling as he stood helplessly, "Heh…hehe… don't kid yourself Uzumaki… this battle… you've won." He took a small step forward, "But… don't get cocky… cause next time… you'll be the one… going down." Kiba finished, falling to the ground unconscious.

"We'll see Kiba." Naruto murmured, smiling slightly as he turned and walked back towards Hinata.

The crowd went wild.

"Quite an attack…" Hinata critiqued as the blonde approached, "Your form needs work… but each attack has great power… it seems you aren't a total waste of time Naruto." She smirked.

"Like I needed you to tell me that…" Naruto huffed, "So… what happens now…?" he asked, gesturing to the arena as a whole.

"Now…?" Hinata asked, "Now… we enjoy the spoils of victory."

* * *

><p><strong>And that's the chapter! His first fight in the arena complete, what new battles await Naruto and his slowly expanding group? Find out, in the next exciting chapter, of Blood Prison Konoha!<strong>

**And as always, review!**


	4. The First Chill

**And here's the next chapter of Blood Prison Konoha!**

* * *

><p><strong>The First Chill<strong>

The time had come. He had seen the boy fight, and he believed he knew his level of power. A pair of dark brown eyes looked up and stared into the eyes of his loyal worker.

"It's time."

The figure looked up, nodding curtly to his "boss".

"How far do you want me to take it?" the figure asked curiously, staring up at the "boss" in confusion.

"…Teach them what happens to those who interfere with my business."

"Understood…" the face looked up, "Boss."

Naruto grinned. Finally, he had a day off from those irritating fights… what was it the other's called them…? Oh right, the Chunin Arena. As annoying as it was to have to fight for the amusement of those who chained him in the first place, Naruto had to admit… he and Hinata made a pretty good team. He had the firepower and the Hyuga Mistress had the brains. It seemed as though their partnership rocked waves in the Chunin Arena Fandom, resulting in them being paired up a few times when they were not clamoring around in one on one matches.

"What's with the smile Hotshot?" Tenten asked, entering the room with a grin of her own. "I never thought you'd be so happy to see me."

The blonde huffed, "Oh shut up Tenten," he groaned, "Like I'd ever enjoy your company." He joked.

The girl kept her grin, skipping into the room and laying a fine assortment of hand-made tools down across her bed.

"Ah… Hey Tenten…?" Naruto asked, "What's with the stuff?"

The girl smirked, her eyes gleaming mischievously before she held one of the tools up, examining the steel to its very core. "As expected from Iruka, grade A material." She whispered, ignoring the blonde completely.

"Iruka?" Naruto blinked in surprise, "What's that guard have to do with you having weapons?"

Tenten sighed, shaking her head at the boy. "For a hotshot you still have a lot to learn. Iruka's not just a guard; he's a kind one, and one of the few that will actually lend us a hand with whatever we need."

"Really? He's a smuggler?" Naruto looked up, "I would've never guessed… I knew he was nice and all but… wow."

Tenten smiled at him, "Well, I guess I can let it slide this time, I was pretty surprised when I first found out too. Still, if it wasn't for him being who he was, I probably wouldn't have as many things as I do now!"

Naruto nodded at that, before catching himself and staring at Tenten curiously. It had only just occurred to him that he really knew nothing of the girl, despite the few weeks he had been placed in her care. Briefly he wondered how she lived her life before being imprisoned. Did she have a family, some siblings perhaps? She seemed to know so much about him, but when it came to her own history.

"What's with the look?" Tenten asked incredulously, looking over her shoulder as she sharpened a small shank.

"Ah, it's nothing Tenten, I was just wondering… what sort of life do you come from? Were you like the majority of us, always on the run or did you have a more…" he trailed off, unsure of how to conclude that statement.

Tenten laughed, "Stable upbringing?" she finished his statement for him before laughing a bit more. To Naruto, it was somewhat frightening, the cold sound of her voice, it carried so much anger, so much hatred. It seemed nothing like the Tenten he had lived with for two weeks. "No," Tenten said finally, glaring at the blonde.

"My life was anything but stable." She said slowly, regarding the blonde cautiously, "Tell me Naruto… what do you know about the Kunai Corporation?"

"Kunai Corporation?" Naruto asked curiously, looking up at the ceiling in thought, "Well… I know they're a multimillion dollar business off the top of my head but… I wouldn't say I know too much about it… why?"

"Hmm," Tenten trailed off, "Well, I suppose that's close enough. The Kunai Corporation is the business that funds the Arena." Naruto's eyes widened as he took in this piece of information. Before he had a chance to say anything, Tenten was already speaking once more. "They were the ones who suggested the idea, paid for the construction amongst the five prisons… and the reason why so many of us die in those savage pits." She growled, her eyes narrowing hatefully, "The worst of it all is… I was born into that corporation."

Naruto's eyes widened, "Wait… what do you mean born into it?"

Tenten laughed once more, but this laugh was much less crazed than the former, "I was a test tube child Naruto." She said slowly, "I was practically engineered. I don't know if my parents were Chakra-users, some guards who got drunk or what. And as for my life being stable? Ha! Imagine, waking up one morning and being told to kill the only source of communication you've had all your life outside the prison guards. Is your curiosity satisfied Uzumaki, or would you like me to continue?"

Naruto winced. "Tenten… I'm sorry… I didn't mean to pry."

Tenten closed her eyes, shaking her head as she returned to sharpening her weapons. "Whatever you say hotshot… but you shouldn't be so nosy… in some districts it might get you hurt." She smiled at him, the tension from her earlier statement having already left her. Briefly Naruto wondered if she made that up on the spot just to fuck with him but he dismissed it quickly.

"Ah… speaking off," Tenten added, turning to face him fully once more, "weren't you hanging out with those two stalkers of yours… what were their names again…? That Uchiha guy and it was… Hinata Hyuga wasn't it?" she asked.

Naruto nodded briefly, "Yeah, Sasuke said he wanted to check out some of the other districts while we still had time off. And they aren't stalkers… they're friends."

Tenten scoffed, "Whatever you say blondie… friends in prison… like that'll ever happen."

Naruto pouted as he looked at her. It seemed he still had a way to go before Tenten would even think to consider him a friend. Not that it mattered at the moment anyway. Sighing as he stood up and got dressed, he quickly grabbed his jacket and made his way to the door.

"I'll go on and head out. I'll leave you to your… whatever it is you're doing." Naruto deadpanned, closing the door as a smiling Tenten looked back at him.

"See you later hotshot!" she called cheerfully as the door shut behind him, before turning back to her weapons once more. "Or what's left of you…."

-HY-

"I'm telling you, there's no reason to go into District 5, there's nothing there but dust and grime. It's a waste of time!" Hinata huffed, glaring at the Uchiha angrily behind her cold pale eyes.

"That may be so, but I want to take a look." Sasuke said firmly, "There's a chance there'll be people there who won't be wary to the idea of getting out of here."

"And I'm telling you it's a waste of time!" Hinata shot back for what was likely the fiftieth time that day.

Naruto sighed as he approached the pair, having heard their argument from the street below. "Oi! Keep it down you two, you don't need the guards getting wind of our plan do we?"

The plan he spoke of was something the three had decided upon mere days into their "friendship". None of them were comfortable with living out a life of servitude and battle, especially if it meant fighting with their fellow Chakra-users. So it was a grin that Naruto enacted his second escape plan. Of course, having already known what he would be facing, Hinata had managed to talk him out of making a second break for it, having heard that even Kakashi wasn't the strongest guard around.

In her eyes, if Naruto could barely handle the Cyclops, what hope would he have against one who was supposedly two, even three times that strong? And so, scrapping Naruto's plan, Hinata enacted her own for the three, one that would take months, even years, to come to fruition.

It involved maneuvering district by district, and picking up as many alliances with other prisoners as possible. If they managed to slap some sense into enough of them, maybe… just maybe, they would have a chance against the guards.

Of course, that wasn't to say it wouldn't be a tough battle. The guards far outnumbered the prisoners, but with Naruto's clone technique, Hinata figured they just might stand a chance.

Flushing as they realized how careless they had been, the two turned away from each other angrily, "Naruto…" Sasuke said slowly, regaining his bearings as he spotted the blonde hair walk into the room, "You're late."

The blonde blinked before chuckling sheepishly, rubbing the back of his head in thought, "Ehehe… sorry Sasuke, I got a little caught up in what I was doing…"

"Lies…" Hinata smirked, "You were sleeping… weren't you?"

"L-Like I said… I got caught up in what I was doing." Naruto coughed defensively, "So… you guys ready? Where are we heading first?"

"District Five/Seven." Hinata and Sasuke said simultaneously, only to once again glare at each other.

"Okay you two calm down." Naruto sighed, wanting to start a fight before it began, "We'll just drop by both of them, how's that?" he asked, looking at the two bickering inmates. "Look, Hinata, you can go check out District Seven, and when Sasuke and I are finished looking over Five, we'll catch up… alright?"

The girl nodded briefly, eyeing the two firmly once more before standing up with a sigh. "Whatever you say Uzumaki, just don't blame me when you find out how much time you wasted."

Naruto frowned, but didn't say anything. Watching the girl leave the apartment, he turned back to Sasuke, who had folded his arms by the doorway as he waited for the blonde.

"Let's go Sasuke…" Naruto sighed finally, having expected this sort of situation.

-HY-

"They're both idiots." Hinata mused, downing a jug of Ichiraku Ramen. Of course, she _was_ supposed to be in District Seven, and she would be… but what Naruto didn't know wouldn't hurt him.

"Oh come on Hinata-chan!" Ayame said with a smile, "Sure, they might seem to be a bit lacking in the brain department, but they do mean well! You just have to have a little faith is all, know what I mean?" she finished, smiling as she cleaned an emptied bowl.

Hinata sighed as she eyed Ayame. "I know full well what you are referring to, but despite all that… everyone seems to say District Five is the worst place to be… I never managed to find out exactly why but..."

"W-Wait a second… they went to District Five?" Ayame said fearfully, "B-But District Five is where…"

"Ayame!" Teuchi called out, "You should be more cautious. You never know who is listening… especially when it comes to that District."

"Why? What's so bad about it?" Hinata asked, setting her jug aside as she placed her hands on the counter softly.

Teuchi gave the girl a glance over, as if deciding whether or not she should be privy to that sort of information. Apparently what he saw wasn't good enough, as he merely shook his head and frowned. "Listen here girl, the best thing you can do when it comes to that District is keep your head down and stay out of sight. You should get going… you don't want people to think you're loitering around here."

Hinata sighed, knowing the man was right. Ever since their first battles the "rookies" had been receiving glares from the guards more than usual. It seemed like now that they were established within the arena role, the guards would do everything in their power to catch them slipping up.

"Alright Teuchi, Ayame, I'll see you guys after I get my next package." Hinata informed, slipping of her stool and waving back at them with an air of superiority. _'So there's something weird about District Five… I told them they shouldn't go… should I inform Naruto…'_ she faltered in her step for a brief moment as she quietly made her decision, _'No… they can handle themselves… besides, it might do them some good to learn a woman's intuition is always right.'_

Ayame frowned as she watched the girl leave. "Why didn't you tell her dad? Now she might wander in there and get herself-"

"No… she's smarter than that." Teuchi spoke up, "There's a reason I didn't tell her… you could see it in her eyes… it might not be much but if you look close you can see it."

Ayame blinked in confusion, "See what?"

"She's worried…" Teuchi told his daughter, sighing as he turned back to cleaning dishes, "She's worried about those two she's been hanging around recently… but things like that… feelings such as worry and friendship… they have no place in prison. It's a dog eat dog world in here Ayame, and District Five, shows that more than anywhere else."

Ayame stared at her father curiously, wondering what led him to say such words. Shrugging it off as an old man's wisdom, she nodded, and returned to her own duties.

-HY-

"To think… they would venture so close into the hornet's nest…" a shaded figure said quietly, tracing the pair's steps as they wandered through the seemingly empty District Five.

"Man," Naruto groaned, "Where is everybody? Not even my District looks so crappy…"

"Hmm… it could be they're off in the arena."

"No way! I mean, sure understand some people might be taken but an entire District? That's way to big Sasuke!"

"Well I don't see you making any ideas." Sasuke shot back, folding his arms in irritation as he turned to face the blonde.

"Well uh… I know, maybe they're having one of those… duty day things or whatever. I know my District has them on Sunday, what about you?"

"For me it was just a Tuesday." Sasuke shrugged, "But I suppose you could be right."

"Or… they could just be avoiding a pair of unwanted faces." A masked prisoner stated as they lunged into view, nearly taking both Naruto and Sasuke out if they hadn't rolled to the side to avoid the man's speed.

"What the hell?" Naruto shouted.

'_Fast!'_ Sasuke thought.

"Who the hell are you?" Naruto shouted, turning to face the masked figure angrily. "What do you think you're doing, lunging at people like that?"

"…." The figure said nothing, staring at the pair quietly as they both crawled back to their feet.

"The silent type huh…?" Sasuke mused, "Interesting…" his eyes breezed over the man's figure, "Naruto… this guy… he's wearing the same sort of clothing those two idiots were wearing."

Naruto blinked in surprise, "You mean those two guys who were beating on you… do you think this guy works with them?"

The masked figure stepped forward, "If you are referring to Gozu and Meizu… it is true that we work for the same man. However, do not be so foolish as to believe they could hold a candle to my abilities."

"So you do work with those two assholes!" Naruto growled, "Did you come to try and beat on Sasuke too?"

"…Perhaps… but this time, my employer wanted to see just how powerful you are as well, Naruto-kun."

The masked figure stared at them, an unusual cool breeze flowing from his body. Naruto wasn't sure who leapt first, him or Sasuke. In the end it didn't matter. Both of them were swept to the side as icy particles materialized around them.

"Tch…" Sasuke grunted, flipping back to his feet with ease and activating his unusual red eyes. Naruto stood moments after, two clones appearing alongside him and the four raced forward, each intent on taking down the masked man themselves.

Naruto thrust upwards, his clones appearing behind the man and kicking out towards either side of his ribs. It was useless. The two clones suddenly exploded, and Naruto's eyes widened as he found himself flying across the district, rolling and skidding through the dirt as the masked man appeared behind him in a flash.

The blonde winced, seeing the blow coming but far too slow to actually do anything about it. The figure's kick had smashed into the side of Naruto's face, sending the teen hurling back the way he came.

"Naruto!" Sasuke shouted, watching the blonde crash down beside him in a heap.

"U-Urk…" Naruto grunted, slowly crawling back to his feet, "This guy… he's a lot stronger than he looks." He murmured, staggering backwards a few feet and wiping the blood from his mouth.

Sasuke's eyes narrowed slightly, "My turn," he murmured, running towards the masked figure and twisting on the soles of his feet, flinging a kick towards the man's neck. Blocking it with ease, the figure stepped back, small icicles appearing in his hands as he swung out at Sasuke, clipping the side of his face and drawing blood.

'_This guy…!'_ Sasuke thought, _'Naruto was right… I can barely keep up with him as it is!'_ cutting off his thoughts, Sasuke leaned back to avoid a second swipe, watching wide-eyed as the icicles flew mere centimeters from his eyes.

'_C-Close…'_ Sasuke thought, flipping back to gather his thoughts, unfortunately, it seemed as though the figure had no intention of letting the Uchiha get any breathing room.

He leapt forward, closing the gap between them in an instant as he cocked back his icicle filled hand.

"S-Shit!" Sasuke cursed aloud, wincing in pain as an icicle impaled the left side of his chest.

He fell to the ground unconscious.

"Sasuke!" Naruto shouted, leaping towards the figure and landing a single blow, kicking the masked figure into the sky. "I'll beat you!"

The figure blinked behind their mask calmly, "This is…"

As if on cue, a Naruto clone appeared above him, leg raised in a familiar manner.

"You truly are a fool." The figure mused, evaporating from sight just as Naruto looked up. Both of the blondes cursed.

"Sh-!" Naruto never even managed to finish. He was already unconscious, knocked out by his own technique.

Approaching the two fallen prisoners slowly, the masked figure looked down at them. "You should not have challenged me."

There was no answer. Of course there wouldn't be. Both of them were unconscious after all. Raising an icicle, he prepared to finish the job.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you." A silver-haired man said calmly, reappearing behind the teen clad in a guard uniform.

The masked figure swiveled around, raising several icicles and tossing them at the man. Weaving through them skillfully, he swiveled around, grabbing the figure by the mask and bringing him into an electrical headlock.

"Haku… this makes it the seventeenth time I've had to stop you from murdering your fellow prisoners in cold blood. What has Zabuza been teaching you?"

The masked figure struggled against the hold, attempting to pry his way out from the man's grasp. "Kakashi…" the figure said slowly, "release me."

"Are you going to try to kill those two again?"

"…."

"That's what I thought." Kakashi mused, tightening his grip. "Naruto Uzumaki and Sasuke Uchiha huh…? Someone has their sights set on some interesting people… Zabuza won't be getting a hold of them… I can assure you that much." He looked at the other two guards who had accompanied him on that particular patrol.

"You…!"

"Deal with the wounded." Kakashi told the guards, and they nodded, warily and nonchalantly lifting the two.

"As for you Haku… that makes one more strike… and you're in the games again."

Haku frowned, "And those two?"

Kakashi released the boy, knowing he would no longer try anything with guards around. "That's for me to know… now run along, and tell Zabuza to keep his nose out of trouble won't you? We don't need a repeat of the Kirigakure transfer."

Haku bit his tongue. "Very well."

* * *

><p><strong>Slightly shorter chapter than usual this time, but ah well. The major villain for the first arc has been revealed to be Zabuza, but what does he want with Naruto and Sasuke? And with such a crushing defeat coming from his right hand, what hope do they have against him? Find out, next time, on Blood Prison Konoha!<strong>


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